


Rewind

by jazzaiko



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Anime AU, Blood and Gore, Character Death, First Meetings, Gamer Byun Baekhyun, Isekai, M/M, Murder, Return by Death (Re:Zero), Time Loop, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-07
Updated: 2020-02-07
Packaged: 2021-02-19 00:06:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,045
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22602016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jazzaiko/pseuds/jazzaiko
Summary: Baekhyun loves gaming, and wishes that his life is a game.One day, he wakes up in a strange place he never knows.A Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World AU
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Kim Jongdae | Chen
Comments: 2
Kudos: 20





	Rewind

**Author's Note:**

> Song to set the mood: [click here to play](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQulCltPdRY)
> 
> Please pay attention to the tags before you read.
> 
> It will be beneficial if you have prior knowledge of the anime Re:Zero Starting Life in Another World. But if not, just take a look first and see if you can grasp the idea.
> 
> Thank you [Cathy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/melodyoficeandfire/pseuds/melodyoficeandfire) and Andin for reading this firsthand and encouraging me ^^

Baekhyun grins in delight as the word “YOU WON” flashes on the screen. The brightness is blinding against his eyes, bloodshot after hours of staying awake. He raises his hand, shielding his eyes from the glare. 

He doesn’t know how long he has been seated there, in front of his computer, wasting his life away. 

Some people called him Genius BBH, a gaming legend capable of winning any games he lands his hand on. That three letter word, BBH, his gaming handle, induces fear and awe alike to people who are in the scene. However, the people from the other side of the screen called him a NEET – not in education, employment, or training – scorning him, for staying at home instead of finding a proper job and working like people his age. 

If only life is a game.   
Where he can have various skills, agility, super strength, and even magic powers.  
Where solving problems are as simple as eliminating enemies in front of his eyes, pulling a trigger and shooting a bullet through them.   
Where money can be earned as easily as boss drops.  
Where food is not required, he just can use a health pack to refill his stamina.  
Where he won’t die when he makes a mistake and can just respawn.

If only life is a game. 

His head bobs as exhaustion starts to overtake him. Maybe he will take a nap. He presses the save button to update his game log so he can resume playing from the last checkpoint, then logs out of the game and puts his computer to sleep mode. His body sinks in the comfort of the mattress. Curling up, he lets his eyes shut close, greeting the dreamland.

~~~

It’s so bright. So uncomfortable. Probably he forgets to draw the curtain close earlier. 

Baekhyun blinks awake. The room is the same, but somehow, something feels weird. He eyes the side of the bed. The desk is still there, also with a chair, but the top of the desk is clean. Where the hell is his computer? How is he supposed to resume the game and join the raid later? 

But he quickly pushes back the thought to the back of his head, there is a more pressing matter at hand. His computer is missing, but strangely, the door has no sign of someone breaking into them. His ears catch indistinct chatter that seems to come from outside the door. It is not quiet, like when his parents are out to work, leaving him alone at home.

Something is wrong.

Lazily Baekhyun pushes himself off the bed, making his way to the door. He opens it.

It is not his house’s hallway that lies beyond the door. Baekhyun rubs his eyes and tries to see again. The sight is still the same – a pale yellow stone building far outside, stalls with tents, dirt instead of wooden floor. 

Probably the lack of sleep is making him hallucinate. 

But the adventurer side of him is excited. What is this place? He peeks his head outside, at least when half of his body is still in the room, he can still return inside somewhat. 

The sun is high above his head. The air is dry, the weather warm as it is in the summer. The dirt street is bustling with people wearing tunic and loose robes of various colors. It does seem like a marketplace, with the wooden crates and tables placed under the tents and people standing behind them, offering the goods to every person who walks past. 

Curiosity grows inside him. He lets his feet take him as his eyes wander at the goods sold. There are vases, crystal cups, chandeliers, and other fancy things displayed on the table, capturing his attention, he doesn’t realize there is another person in front of him.

“Hey, watch where you are going!” The burly man turns around, showing a scary face with thick mustaches. Startled, Baekhyun backs away, his body bumping against the display table. He hears something crash to the ground, breaking into pieces, must be glass by the sound of it. 

Oh no.

He quickly turns on his heels and runs as fast as he can, away from the crowd. 

“SOMEONE CATCH THAT BOY!” 

Baekhyun pushes people out of his way, keeps running… 

Suddenly something pulls him to the side of the road, in between the buildings. 

“What the..” Baekhyun feels like cursing, struggling against the pull, but a hand quickly clamps his mouth, shushing him, taking him deeper into the shade. 

His eyes wander to the man who abducts him. The man is about his height, his black hair short but the bangs split in the middle framing his forehead. He has defined cheekbones, his eyes gentle and the corner of his soft lips curl upwards. Baekhyun feels his heartbeat quickens, maybe from all the running. Or the man beside him.

He hears yells and curses pass by, loud footsteps that eventually grow softer and softer. When it seems safe, the other man drops his hand and backs away from Baekhyun. 

Abduction or not, this stranger has saved his life. “Thank you,” Baekhyun mutters, silently hoping the man speaks the same language as him.

“You are welcome,” the man replies warmly, his mouth curves into a smile. Something in that man somehow instantly makes Baekhyun at ease. Probably the smile, so sincere and warm. Or the comforting aura. 

“You are not from around here, are you?” the man questions, his eyes wandering, studying Baekhyun. Baekhyun notices the clothing the man wears is very different from his – light brown long-sleeved tunic, thin black robe, and grey baggy pants. 

Baekhyun nods. 

“Where are you from? Doesn’t seem to be in the north, it is snowing like hell there, you won't wear such thin clothing. Probably the west,” the man rambles. 

Baekhyun raises his eyebrows. North? West? What?

“What is this place?” 

“This is Elyxion,” the man explains. “It is like the capital city here, thus the crowd and the market. We are kinda in the center side of the country.” 

Elyxion? Where the hell is that city even? Anyway, Baekhyun decides to keep it to himself. “I see,” Baekhyun replies. “Anyway, thanks for saving me earlier. You are?” 

The stranger extends his hands. “Call me Jongdae.” Baekhyun likes how his name sounds, what a nice name for a nice person.

“I’m Baekhyun,” Baekhyun says, accepting Jongdae’s hand and shakes it. 

“So, Baekhyun,” Jongdae beams in excitement. “Want me to show you around?” 

“Sure.” 

He is about to step outside the small alley when Jongdae’s hand stops him. “Wait.” He takes off his robe and passes it to Baekhyun. “Wear this. At least this way, you can blend in the crowd.” 

Baekhyun slides the robe on, surprisingly it fits his body, concealing the bright yellow t-shirt he has underneath. He feels a bit less out of place now. 

Jongdae leads him to the other end of the alley, that opens up to another part of the city. There are more buildings and greeneries. Jongdae guides him through, telling the name of the places, the iconic buildings, and landmarks, also what they are for. The library. The monument in the center of the city. The park. 

Baekhyun listens, nods, occasionally makes comments, although most of his attention is locked to the man talking instead of the subject. It is interesting to see Jongdae explaining things, how expressive his sparkly eyes are and how his lips always make small pout when he speaks.

Time always passes so quickly when you are having fun. Despite only meeting Jongdae today, Baekhyun has interacted with him more than other people in his life, smiling, laughing, sharing stories. Without realizing, the sky has turned from light blue to purple with shades of orange. However, Jongdae shows no sign of leaving. 

Soon it’s dinnertime. Jongdae takes Baekhyun to a local eatery. Probably because he has not eaten a proper meal throughout the day, he finds the meal delicious. They go out with full stomachs and content hearts. 

“Where do you stay?” Jongdae asks as the sky turns a darker shade of navy. There are floating lights illuminating the city now, making everything many times more beautiful. 

Baekhyun remembers the room he wakes up in that opens up to the marketplace. He tries to explain it to Jongdae. The other man listens attentively, and the two of them walk back to the marketplace.

The market is a lot quieter now that most merchants have left their stalls. There are only a few people around, talking among themselves. 

Baekhyun recognizes the yellow stone building. It's time to part.

“Thank you for taking me around the city today, Jongdae.” 

"No need to say thank you. I'm glad you enjoy your visit to our city." His tone is warm but the other man seems a bit sad. To be honest, Baekhyun doesn't want to leave either.

"Hey, we can meet here tomorrow and explore other parts of the city." Baekhyun tries to cheer him up. 

However, Jongdae seems strange. He pulls Baekhyun to his side, crouching low behind the wooden crates. Baekhyun shoots him a questioning look, and Jongdae motions him to see the other side.

The burly man Baekhyun bumped into this morning is there, but not alone. All of them have weapons in their hands, ganging up against the precious gems merchant across the street. 

"Surrender your things, or else your life." His voice is deep and menacing. The merchant shrinks in fear, letting the robbers take whatever they wish. No one in the marketplace dares to raise any voice, let alone oppose the group of robbers. Finished with the merchant, they move to another table, another visitor.

Crouching down for a long time makes his legs numb. Baekhyun tries to stretch his leg, but he just realizes there is an empty can next to his foot. Too late, the can rolls with a clang, the loud sound echoes throughout the marketplace.

"Who's there?"

His heart pounds so loudly when he hears footsteps approaching. Jongdae pulls on his sleeves, signaling him to stay quiet.

"Well, well, if it's not the rude boy from this morning."

It feels as if Baekhyun's heart leaps out of his chest. Cold sweat running down his body. He can't move. 

To Baekhyun's surprise, Jongdae stands up in between him and the robber.

"What are you doing, shielding the stranger? It is an offense to make our boss's mood foul," the other robber says. 

"Move."

Jongdae remains standing, backing one step as if protecting Baekhyun.

His eyes widen in horror when one of the robbers runs his blade through Jongdae’s body, blood splattering everywhere. Jongdae’s face pales instantly, twitching in pain. His body goes limp, slowly dropping to the ground as if in slow motion.

His only friend, the only person to show kindness to him in this place, now lies lifeless on the ground. And Baekhyun can’t do anything to help him.

"No!!"

His cry causes the other robber to turn his attention towards him. Baekhyun can’t react in time to protect himself. He feels something sharp pierces through his stomach. 

Now he knows why people say being stabbed is painful as fuck.

A wail escapes his mouth. The expression on the criminal’s face transforms into a cruel smile, making shiver runs Baekhyun’s spine. He can feel the blade twisting his gut. Baekhyun’s hand instinctively goes to his side, gripping on the other man’s hand, pleading it to stop. 

His heart is pounding faster. He feels dizzy. He can’t breathe. 

His core feels empty when the blade is yanked out of his body, leaving the wound gape open. Baekhyun presses his hand over it, trying to stop the bleeding, but blood and water won’t stop gushing out. His strength slowly diminishes, his entire body shivers, can't keep his body up anymore and he too drops to the ground. Black spots start to fill his vision. His ears can only hear drips and drops of blood flowing out of his system.

Maybe this is death.

Maybe he finally ends his useless life. A life full of regrets, when he could have done so much more.

_Mom, dad, I’m sorry._

~~~

Baekhyun blinks his eyes open. The interior of his room appears before his eyes.

Was it all a dream?

But why is his stomach still painful as fuck? As if someone just stabbed it. He lifts his t-shirt up, letting his finger run over the sore spot. His skin is smooth, scarless. But the throbbing pain still lingers there. 

Weird.

Baekhyun decides to wake up and get some fresh air. Hands on the handle, and twists the knob open.

He can’t believe his eyes. The same sight greets his eyes – a bustling market of Elyxion, in a place God knows where. 

How come?

He decides to take a step outside the door. The air is as hot as summer, filled with various smells – of fruits, raw meat, cinnamon, and spices. He decides to go the other way, eyeing the content of the crates in front of him and picks up one red fruit. It looks like an apple, but when he puts it close to his nose, it smells different.

“Hey, what are you doing? You thief!” 

Baekhyun quickly returns the fruit back to the pile, but too late, the stall owner already sends death glares at him. 

“You better pay for that,” the man threatens with hands on his fat hips. 

Baekhyun searches for his side pocket, and back pocket. Nothing. “I don’t have money,” he replies, putting on the best puppy eyes he can muster, hoping to melt some of the merchant’s anger. 

“I will pay for it. How much?”

The gentle voice makes Baekhyun turn his head, seeing a black-haired man about his height. It is that guy again. His eyebrows slant upwards, waiting expectantly for the merchant to reply. 

“Five coins.” 

The man digs into his pouch, taking out exactly five coins and passing it to the merchant. The scowl disappears from the merchant’s face. The young man smiles slightly, his lips curling up like a cat as he picks one fruit. He turns to face Baekhyun, taking his hand and placing the fruit in his palm. “For you,” he says, his smile grows wider and a dimple appears on his left cheek. 

“Thank you.” Baekhyun accepts the fruit. “What is your name?”

“I’m Jongdae,” the man replies, the smile never leaving his face.

Jongdae.

The same man he met before they both got stabbed.

How come he is still alive? 

And how come he doesn't seem to know Baekhyun although they have met the day earlier?

His eyebrows piqued in confusion. “Jongdae. I thought you were… dead?” 

Jongdae breaks into laughter. “What are you talking about?” He takes Baekhyun’s hand and puts it against his wrist, letting Baekhyun feel his pulse. It is beating steadily, his body is still warm… very much alive.

It is very weird, but it might scare Jongdae away if Baekhyun tells the truth. “Sorry for the lame joke,” he apologizes, grinning to mask his embarrassment.

“It’s alright,” Jongdae says. He studies Baekhyun, curiosity apparent in his eyes. “By the way, are you a traveler? Your clothing does not look like it’s from this country.” 

Baekhyun looks downwards at his oversized yellow t-shirt and sweatpants, very different from the brown tunic, black robe and baggy pants Jongdae wears. 

“Yeah, I guess,” Baekhyun responds. “I don’t know this place, that’s for sure.”

“Hmm,” Jongdae hums in understanding. “Want me to show you around?”

Wait. 

Baekhyun has heard that saying before.

As if everything restarts all over again. 

As if he resumes playing from a game checkpoint.

A checkpoint?

Is he inside a game now? 

So does it mean he will respawn and everything will reset the moment he dies?

Whatever it is, Baekhyun has an idea of what will happen next. If he said yes, Jongdae would bring him to all those places. 

Jongdae is still looking at him expectantly, waiting for his response. That sweet smile never leaves his face.

For once, Baekhyun has found a purpose in his life, other than his games or raids.

Baekhyun will protect that smile. For sure. 

"Sure, let's go," Baekhyun replies. 

And like a deja vu, Jongdae shows him various places in the city, exactly like the other day. 

The sky darkens, counting down to the hours they have left. Baekhyun is getting more and more anxious. They have eaten their dinner, and Jongdae asks him the exact same question. 

“Where do you stay?”

Baekhyun thinks. If he tells Jongdae of the marketplace, they would go and there is a high chance they would meet the robbers again that lead to their demise. 

However, he won’t let anyone harm Jongdae this time. The sight of Jongdae falling to the ground pale and lifeless is not something that Baekhyun wants to see ever again. 

What if he makes a different decision? Will it avert their doom?

Putting on his best acting skill, Baekhyun shrugs. "I don't know." He pleads inside his heart, _please Jongdae, please Jongdae, fall for my lie_. 

Jongdae looks at him with the kindest eyes he has ever seen. "Ah, right, you are a traveller, of course you don't have a place to stay here. Would you like to come with me then? My house is a bit small, but I hope you don't mind."

Thank God.

"I don't mind," Baekhyun says, eternally grateful for Jongdae's kindness.

They walk to the other side of the city, away from the marketplace, away from their death.

Like Jongdae says, his house is not big, but it is cozy and clean. Jongdae lends some clothes and lets Baekhyun use his bathroom. 

Baekhyun steps inside the tub, lowering his body until it's completely soaked with warm water. A sigh of relief escapes his lips, thankful for the bath, thankful to the deities for their safety.

They manage to live for another day, but who knows what tomorrow will bring. Will there be other robbers? Or something else threatening their lives?

There are many things he has yet to know about this weird place. But no matter what happens, Baekhyun will stay, and protect Jongdae's smile.

**Author's Note:**

> If you are confused, don't worry XD the storyline in the anime itself is not finished yet, we have so many questions. (But season 2 is coming this year so I hope we will have more answers!!)
> 
> But if you are interested to find out more, you can check out the [Wikipedia](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Re:Zero_%E2%88%92_Starting_Life_in_Another_World). The anime is pretty good but very dark and depressing.
> 
> I have suspicion Chanyeol knows this anime when he said EMT (EXO-L Maji Tenshi) because that phrase EMT came from this anime (it originally stands for Emilia-tan Maji Tenshi. Emilia is the main girl protagonist and the love interest) and went viral. 
> 
> Anyway, I don't have plans to make this into a series. If you watch the anime you will know why. So hope you enjoy this short one shot kekeke


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